For current students who know Brian Eisenhauer or have taken classes with him, most are probably not aware that when he came to Plymouth State University in 2004, he taught sociology and criminology. His PSU career has veered toward his interests in sustainability, conservation, activism, and grassroots environmentalism. Today, he directs the Office of Sustainability and is a professor of social sciences.
Evolving and adapting is the name of the game for Eisenhauer—be it the courses he teaches or ways to make the University greener and more sustainable. He recognizes that what might have been trendy or cost-effective earlier could have changed so he makes sure he isn’t stuck in the past in his classes as well as for the good of PSU.
“Plymouth State is tuition-driven and everything we spend gets passed on to our students,” he says. “It is necessary that we do projects in their interest and look at creative ways we can finance and make sure projects provide a positive benefit for the University.”
The solar panel array at the Physical Education Center has been his biggest project to date, and it built on the success of a previous one. The panels cover almost an acre and offset nearly 90 percent of the building’s electricity usage, lessening the University’s annual carbon emissions by 473 tons. The project, which started in late 2020, cost $822,000. At the time it was estimated it would save the University a little more than $100,000 in the first year.
“Seven years ago, our first solar array was on Hyde Hall,” Eisenhauer says. “Five years later, the electricity it produced was the cheapest electricity we were buying on campus by 30 percent. When we saw that, it was proof of how we can use solar for larger projects like the PE Center.”
Eisenhauer also has a knack for adapting in his classes. He isn’t the “by the book” type who teaches the same things year after year. It’s this style that makes him a favorite among students in courses as diverse as Social Research Methods, Sociology of Deviance, Intro to Sustainability Studies, Sustainability and Practice, and What is Wilderness.
“I had Brian for my Sustainability in Practice class, and it was one of my favorites because of how passionate he is about sustainability. It’s one of the reasons I decided to minor in it,” says Isabelle Schena ‘24, who is majoring in environmental science and is considering becoming a teacher. “He has a very good way of connecting learning with what is happening at Plymouth State, the region, and the country. Food systems, solar panels, the responsibility of individuals—the class is unique and he dives deep.”
Eisenhauer’s teaching goes beyond the classroom and he puts on a mentor’s hat almost as often as one for teaching. After getting to know Schena in her sophomore year, he helped bring her classroom presentation on composting in the dining hall to the next level. PSU is now sending some of its compost to a local pig farm.
He also offered Schena a spot in the Office of Environmental Sustainability, enabling her to get additional experience in her major through experiences like attending a meeting with PSU’s Physical Plant staff and a private composting company. Her office responsibilities include designing and conducting outreach and communication, such as promoting sustainability at campus events, educating peers about composting at the dining hall, and even making solar-powered smoothies. Shena is also helping formulate a program where students can turn in empty cans in exchange for money being put in their school accounts.
All students benefit from the many instances in class when Eisenhauer explains what employers are looking for and how to catch their eye in résumés, and when he pulls up job sites to show what jobs fit students’ interests.
“I got into this for the students; what I enjoy the most is working with them,” Eisenhauer says. “I’ve been constantly encouraged by students over the years. They’re achieving change on campus and it’s an enjoyable part of the teaching experience.”
